Intermediate support for venetian blind tilt rails



B. B. JUNKUNC 2,573,M7

INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR VENETIAN BLIND TILT RAILS Oct. 30, 1951 Filed June 16, 1949 Patented Oct. 30, 1951 BLIND TILT rims Bela B. Junkunc, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Bela. A B. Jimkii'ri, Alexander Junkimc, Sr., Alexander Junkunc, 'Jr., and Joseph G. Junkunc, doing business as J. 8211. Tool &- Ma'chine Cot, Chiw g 11 a par i e Application ens: lfi- San! $2 5 This invention relates to an intermediate support for a Venetian blind tilt rail, and is par,-v ticularly concerned with means for holding a supporting chain against slipping.

Venetian blinds include. a tilt rail supported at its ends by some conventional supporting means that will permit the rail to be tilted'in either direction. Generally: this end support is sufficient, but sometimes, when blinds are substantially wider than the usual single window width, some form of intermediate support is usually required to keep the blind from sagging at its center.

In accordance with the present invention an intermediate support is provided that may be positioned on the tilt rail wherever desired with very little trouble, and will always stay in the position in which it is originally placed. The intermediate support does not interfere with the normal operation of the Venetian blind and is extremely durable in use. It is not necessary to make any changes in a conventional tilt rail in order to secure the intermediate support to it and hence the rail is not weakened in any respect, as in the case of some prior art structures. In fact, the rail is actually strengthened by the intermediate support at the region where it is secured to the rail. This is of especial value where the tilt rail consists of a hollow tubular member.

The structure by which the above advantages are attained will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the ac- 2 Claims. (Cl.

companying drawing of the preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a Venetian blind embodying my invention mounted in a window frame;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the tilt rail shown in Fig. 1, showing in greater detail the manner in which the intermediate support is secured to the tilt rail and mounted on the underside of the top surface of a window frame;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the roller of the intermediate support mounted on the front edge of a window frame;

Fig. 4 Ba detail perspective view of the roller of the intermediate support; and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the clamp of the intermediate support, which holds the chain or cord extending around the roller in position around the tilt rail.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates the sides of a window frame on which the operating ends of a Venetian blind tilt rail are" supported. rail maybe a solid rail. of woodffor example, or it may be a hollow rail. The rail shown in the drawings is a hollow rail having a generally rectangular cross-section, but it may have any other desired shape. The Venetian blind structure shown in the drawings is conventional and will not be described in detail. In general, it comprises a plurality of slats 4 and tapes 5', and tilting mechanism 6 and raising and lowering mechanism 1 secured to the opposite ends of the tilt rail.

An L-shaped bracket 8 is mounted on either the underside 9 of the top surface of the window frame, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or on the front surface It, as shown in Fig. 3, at approximately the region where it is desired to support the tilt rail. In either case a roller II, mounted on the free end of bracket 8, is positioned just above the tilt rail and is adapted to rotate in a plane transverse of the tilt rail.

A chain or cord I2 extending around roller II and seated in a circumferential groove I3 has its ends secured to a clamp [4 which is snapped over the tilt rail in the area to be provided with intermediate'support. The clamp, suitably made of spring steel or of plastic material, comprises a substantially flat plate I5 and a pair of legs l6. Plate [5 has a length approximately equal to the width of the tilt rail and is positioned adjacent the bottom of the rail. Legs l6 project upwardly adjacent the front and rear walls of the tilt rail and fit snugly thereagainst, so that the clamp will remain in any desired position because of the frictional contact between the clamp and the bottom and front and rear walls of the tilt rail. Legs l6 extend upwardly a short distance above the top of the tilt rail, and are recessed, as indicated at ill, to furnish guiding support for the chain or cord as the rail is tilted.

The center portion of plate [5 is cut out and two pairs of ears ll are formed by striking the metal adjacent the cut out upwardly. The ears of each pair are spaced apart a slight distance so that the ends of the chain, which are preferably enlarged slightly, may each be fixed between the ears of one pair and be retained therein. Ears I! are spaced from plate [5 a suflicient distance to provide adequate clearance for the end of the chain to be held between the ears and the adjacent bottom wall of the tilt rail. Although it is preferred to use a chain for the intermediate support, any suitable cord or band may be substituted provided the ends are knotted or enlarged in any other suitable manner so that they maybe retained between ears ll.

Bracket 8 may be positioned wherever desired,

and then clamp H is snapped on tilt rail 3 in the region beneath the bracket. If the clamp does not line up accurately with roller II, the clamp may be slid laterally of the tilt rail until it is properly aligned. When roller I l and clamp I4 are aligned, the chain has its opposite ends secured between ears I! and its intermediate portion positioned in circumferential groove I3. The tilt rail may then be tilted in either direction, and the chain will merely roll along in the groove of roller ll. Recesses l8 in the legs of clamp H are in the same vertical plane as the circumferential groove I3 in roller H and the openings between each pair of cars I1, so that the chain always moves in the same plane.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact structure described.

I claim:

1. An intermediate support for a tilt rail comprising a fixed bracket, a roller mounted in said bracket to rotate in a plane transverse of the tilt rail to be supported, a clamp frictionally secured to said tilt rail beneath said roller, a plurality of ears projecting outwardly from said clamp, and a chain extending around the periphery of said roller, the ends of said chain being secured to said clamp by engagement with said ears.

2. An intermediate support for a tilt rail comprising a fixed bracket, a roller mounted in said bracket to rotate in a plane transverse of the tilt rail to be supported, a snap-on clamp frictionally secured to said tilt rail beneath said roller, said clamp comprising a base member adapted to be positioned against the lower face of the tilt rail and legs adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of the tilt rail with the free ends of the legs extending slightly above the top face of the tilt rail, the free ends of said legs being recessed, and a chain extending around the periphery of said roller and through said recesses and having its ends secured to the base of the clamp.

BELA B. JUNKUNC.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 691,603 Coveney Jan. 21, 1902 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,037 Great Britain 1888 16,079 Great Britain 1890 

